Armed gardaí are patrolling the streets of Limerick tonight after Commissioner Pat Byrne called in the Garda's Emergency Response Unit (ERU) in an effort to halt the violence afflicting the city.
The Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, said this evening he was considering moving sections of the Central Criminal Court (CCC) to Limerick in an effort to free up Limerick gardai who are currently attending serious criminal trials at the CCC in the capital.
Mr McDowell said because of the escalation in violence and the distance officers had to travel for hearings in Dublin, moving sections of the CCC to Limerick could speed up the work of gardai.
The moves follow the killing of Kieran Keane (36) in the city overnight, in a what gardai believe was a 'hit' connected to a family feud.
The 42-year-old was abducted and shot in the back of the head in Drombana - three miles from the city. His nephew was stabbed several times and is being treated in hospital.
Hours after the shooting of Mr Keane two brothers, Mr Eddie Ryan (20) and Mr Kieran Ryan (19), abducted last Thursday, turned up safe and well in Portlaoise around 80 miles from their home.
A man and a woman in their 40s are being questioned in connection with the killing at Roxoboro Garda Station under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act. They can be questioned for 72 hours under this act.
"I'm just happy to be alive and to see my whole family especially my baby daughter," said Mr Kieran Ryan.
He said he had been "covered up" for the duration of his kidnapping and had been warned by his abductors not to talk about his experience.
"I got threatened and I'm not going to talk to no-one about it. I've been threatened not to talk to no-one."
"From the time I got taken to the time I got home I thought I was going to be dead. I'm just so happy to be home. We're going to get drunk and celebrate," he said. Kieran and Eddie said they were unharmed during their ordeal and were fed.
The boys' uncle Mr John Ryan - a brother of their father Eddie Ryan who was gunned down in the Moose Bar two years ago - also said he hoped there would be an end to the feud.
"If they want to call it quits then we'll call it quits. It they don't then that's their own problem, we don't want any more trouble," he said.
"We're delighted the boys are back and we didn't think they'd come back to be honest. It's a deal gone wrong for the other crowd ... it's their own fault."
There has been a long-running feud between the Keane and Ryan families. It was in evidence again today when three men connected to the Keane family were jailed for two months over an altercation with Mr John Ryan outside the city's courthouse last Monday.
Chief Superintendent Gerry Kelly, heading the investigation, said however he feared reprisals. He said the feud was driven by "madness and hatred".
He said the men had "certainly undergone some kind of an experience" and would be interviewed later tonight.
Supt Willie Keane confirmed appealed for calm in the city.
"Tensions are running high and we would appeal for calm and for an end to this futile violence," said Supt Keane.
In Dublin, after an emergency meeting with Garda Commissioner Pat Byrne, Mr McDowell revealed he had received Cabinet permission to increase the number of gardai from 11,850 to 12,200.
"All of this spiral of retaliatory violence must stop now ... The gardai will take every step that is necessary to maintain order to re-establish a sense of trust among the citizens, that there will not be any more of these senseless slayings," Minister McDowell said.
"Nobody should doubt me," he said. "I intend as minister for justice to ensure that the rule of law is maintained throughout this country.
"And if any group of people believes that they can stand up to the rule of the law, or that they can set themselves above the law, or that they can set up an alternative system of justice they are very, very gravely mistaken."